How Our Research is Making a Difference

Breast cancer mortality decreased by 39 percent from 1989-2015 in the U.S. And we’re honored to have been a part of that. With your help, we've been able to accelerate advances and fund research across the globe.

But, we still have more to do. We’re committed to supporting research that will one day identify and deliver the cures for breast cancer.

Featured Research Stories

Promise Grant Success: Through his research to develop better personalized therapies, Promise Grantee Dr. Bryan Schneider discovered some serendipitous outcomes about the side effects of treatment in African-American women.

Why Invest in Breast Cancer Research?

In the beginning, our aim was to understand the basic biology of breast cancer. But as we learn more about the factors that make cancer cells grow and spread, we’re able to invest more in turning this knowledge into better approaches to treatment, early detection and prevention. We’ve also learned that cancer cells are smart – and can find ways to escape the many drugs that have been developed in the past 20 years. This is one of the most challenging issues we still face in reducing breast cancer deaths.

Today

But today, we believe our researchers can outsmart breast cancer. So we fund the brightest minds and the best breast cancer research – research that has the potential to reduce breast cancer rates and mortality within the decade. Our researchers have uncovered a staggering amount of information about breast cancer over the past three decades and will continue to do so in the coming years. This evolution in our understanding of breast cancer has set the stage for a new era in breast cancer therapy and prevention, due in part to the many studies and clinical trials that we’ve funded and continue to fund.

Learn more about our research accomplishments by reading our Science Buzz and Stories of Discovery articles below.

Our Researchers

Your dollars help us fund some of the best and brightest breast cancer researchers in the world. Our granting process is rigorous, ensuring that only best science is funded. From our scientists-in-training to our seasoned researchers and Komen Scholars, we strive to push the field of breast cancer forward, translating research into real advancements in the clinic – new ways to prevent, detect, and treat breast cancer.Plus, our researchers are not just scientists; they’re survivors, spouses, sons and daughters. Their passion to end breast cancer is just as great as ours.

Read their stories and details about their research in Behind the Science. And learn about the amazing work our Promise Grantees are doing in the sections below.